Head Out Of The Sand
by taylorandmacster10
Summary: This story is a glimpse, dive in into Jay's life before the Chicago police department. From his decision to join, to how he comes out the other side, we're filling this untapped void in the life story of Jay Halstead.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1- The Calling

**So here's the deal, I've been wanting to write this story for a few months now and have been slightly scared by how daunting of a task this is. It's a lengthy, multi-faceted, super detailed story that we have not received in the show yet. Therefore, instead of waiting for someone else, I finally came to the conclusion that it's up to me to get this story out there. It's a doozy but one I'm ready to tackle piece by piece. However, before I dive in, I want to make sure people actually want to read this. So, here is a teaser and then I'm going to go away for a bit and research for the rest of the story. I hope you enjoy this and I look forward to your feedback. Take a breath, everyone. Let's get into this unknown era of Jay Halstead's life. **

The paperwork and reading material were scattered across the kitchen table. It was late in the evening and you could detect the quiet pitter pattering of ice pellets hitting off the windows and roof. There were three occupants at the table: Jay and his parents. Two people were shocked and a little worried while the other was anxious, excited almost. They'd been there for a few hours now, each side wondering how to wrap everything up and persuade one to agree to something they didn't want. Silence echoed in the house. Watering was dripping from some faucet somewhere and the lull of appliances were the only noises detected by their ear drums. Jay didn't break eye contact with his parents, telepathically telling them to agree to his grand, somewhat scary, life plan. Their only responses were loud exhales and shocked head turns. No one had spoken for several minutes now and it was the voice on the phone in the middle of the table that finally moved things forward.

"Jay, why do you want to do this?" There were sounds of laughter and yelling in the background, giving evidence that Will was at some party at some friend's house. Jay looked directly at his parents as he responded.

"Because I need to do something with my life and I want to help people."

"But what about school?" His parents nodded at Will's comment. Jay scoffed while half smiling.

"It's not for me. I've tried, I really have. But a year later, I don't fit in. I'm not the next business genius and I don't ever see myself being a person doing the 9-5 week in and week out. I want to make an impact on the world. Be apart of something great that's helping people positively."

"So why not become a public servant, be a police officer or fireman or something. Why the Army," their mother inquired?

"Maybe someday, but this is something I want to do now. I want to defend my country. It's a calling and I can't not answer it."

"You're aware of what could happen to you," their father retorted.

"Yes," Jay quickly and confidently responded.

"And," Will replied?!

"And I'm prepared for that to happen if it ever came to that." You could easily pick up Will's slow exhale as his parents did the same. This was certainly not the topic they envisioned discussing this evening. Lookin at their young, spry, wide eyed son sitting across from them, it was heartbreaking to imagine that worst case scenario playing out. He was still a kid and they could only envision him as that ten year old boy chasing his brother down with a squirt gun. They immediately played the scene forward, visualizing the officer walking up to the front door or the phone call from the number you never want lighting up your phone. Mom started tearing up thinking that this could be the last time she sees her child in this state: innocent and healthy. While death was something to fear, she kept thinking of the physical and mental setbacks that were very likely come with allowing your child to join a war. And that she almost feared more than losing him altogether. She'd kiss and hug her boy away and he could return an unfamiliar, detached man. But he had that look in his eyes, that glow about him. He'd found his life's purpose and he wasn't going to sway from it. She looked at her husband and the two of them nodded, that stubborn streak that was with him from birth wasn't going to take no for an answer. Tonight wasn't about getting their permission, it was basically his way to telling them what he was doing and hoping they'd approve.

"Ok," she responded through closed, tear filled eyes.

"Really," Jay replied, a little startled.

"On one condition, you come home. I don't care how, you come home," their father responded. He too was chocked up by now, watching his oldest son solemnly nod.

"I promise."

"You better, I need someone look up to and annoy every now and then," Will humorously commented, desperately wanting to lighten the mood. Will promised to be home before curfew before hanging up, leaving their parents to hesitantly watch Jay fill out the necessary paperwork. It was hard for Jay to not be giddy while do so. There's nothing more satisfying than finding one's purpose and acting on it. For months, he'd been daydreaming in class pondering if his current situation was it. Was his life going to become a continuous doldrum of clocking in and out and commuting five days a week for the next forty years? It was one day during a pass-by of a news report on the television that changed his life trajectory. Some random news reporter was holding a finger to his ear while speaking into a microphone while a plane landed not too far behind him. Jay half listened to latest casualty numbers because he was too enamored with the people unloading from the plane. They were happy, confident, and badass. He wanted to be that. He suddenly desired to be a small part in a greater force aiming to change the world for the better. From there, it was constant research and thinking that made his crazy notion go from thoughts to actions. He didn't realize how scary it was to finally voice a plan, but he was elated he worked up the courage to do so. He knew what he wanted to become and now those closest to him did as well. Nothing's more peaceful and relieving than that. It took him minutes to comb through and sign what was needed. He'd rehearsed this moment for months to the point he could do it in his sleep. He clicked the pen closed as he gathered the papers and stood, his parents following suit. They quietly pushed their chairs in and stood still, not wanting to move because then that would kick events into gear. Jay looked over at the clock on the oven door, wanting to bring something into the mood.

"Holy cow, it's 12:37. I've gotta go to bed. I've got class early in the morning and then I need to turn this stuff in…um…" It was weird because he almost felt like crying. He bit his bottom lip for a second and shook his head as his mother walked over and gave him a hug, quietly running his finger nails on his back as she felt Jay sob on her shoulder.

"Why are you crying," she lovingly questioned? Jay shrugged before responding.

"I'm just happy, relieved that you guys said yes." She carefully pulled him away, looking at his bleary blue eyes while wiping away the falling tears.

"We're proud of you, truly." Jay looked away from his mother to see his father nodded with approval.

"Thanks guys. I'll be careful, I promise."

They all trudged up the stairs and went their separate ways. As Jay sat in his room reading now pointless school material, he could detect voices coming from the room down the hall. He couldn't make out the words, but figured they pertained to him. He knew the burden and dread he now placed on his parents and entire family and partly felt bad for ever saying anything. Perhaps if he'd run away and then joined the Army things would be better for them. Of course, reason told him that was an idiotic idea. This was is quest, his life's calling. The emotional side of everything would hurt along the way, but he would've hated himself more if he didn't follow the very tempting challenge. At the time, he had no idea what the next days, weeks, months, and possible years had up their sleeves for him. As he laid there in bed listening to the L rattle along the rail line and the cars maneuver up and down the street, he felt this was the start of the rest of his life. Everything that happened before tonight led him to this moment, this little blip in time. Down the road, when things got uneasy or scary, he'd flashback to this moment in bed for reassurance that this was the right thing for him. He smiled as he fell asleep that evening. In a few hours, Jay Halstead would go from civilian to solider and he honestly couldn't wait for the challenge and adventure that awaited him.

**So, who wants more?**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-The Civilian To Soldier Metamorphosis

**Hello, hello, hello! I have returned from a great journey of research and am ready to get into the fun stuff: writing! Thank you so much for your sweet and awesome reviews. This is such a scary task and your words are really pushing me to dig deep and give it my all. Let's get into this!**

The only thing missing from the scene was a squeaky, wicker rocking chair and someone plucking a banjo. Jay swore he saw a tumble weed lallygagging down the sidewalk. This was Jay's first trek to the Deep South and so far, it was living up to his expectations. For starters, he left the expansive, well connected airport in a robust city and found himself landing at the world's smallest airport. No joke, there were three planes taxiing to a gate and no one was waiting at the gate for the next takeoff. Talk about feeling so out of place. He went from a world where you could easily blend in to sticking out like the biggest sore thumb.

The farewell drop-off at the airport was emotional to say the least. When Jay first signed up for the Army, he was required to take a number of IQ and physical test in an effort to place him in a section that best suited his strengths and weaknesses. After scoring well above average in almost everything, it was strongly suggested that he consider becoming a Ranger. The training was harder and the missions would be risker than others, but the rewards would be that much greater. Plus, the title carried some serious bragging rights down the line. Jay didn't give it much thought. If those in charge told him to do it, he blindly jumped at the crazy notion. When announcing his decision to the family, they were initially happy. However, when they began to research it all, that's when the dread and emotions kicked in. His parents respected his decision, but there was always that terrible 'what if' question whispering in the background. Jay picked up on their uneasiness and kept the discussion of the topic to a minimum, only letting them know when he was leaving and how long training camp would take.

The ride to the airport was brutal. There was this air about them like this was the final time they'd all be together. Will kept bringing up memories from when they were younger and it took everything in Jay to not reach over a slap him. Perhaps it was Will's way of processing things, but Jay didn't see where it was helping their parents get through things. They all quickly gathered on the curb and kinda stared at each other, not sure what the next step was. Jay moved in to hug his mother first before doing the same with Dad. He picked up on them all holding back tears and he didn't bring attention to it; knowing he was the instigator of it and almost felt bad for asking them to drop him off. His message to Will was short and direct: 'take care of them while I'm gone,' he said while motioning to their parents. Will gave him a weird face but nodded. Jay gathered his bags and nodded at everyone a final time, promising to contact them when he could. And on that note, he turned around and walked, feeling their last look but refusing to witness it. In that small moment, he half wished he wasn't doing this. He hated putting his family through the stress of not knowing how he was, but he knew it was too late to change his mind. It was when was at the gate that it struck him that he was alone. There wasn't a safety net under him anymore. It was up to him, not other people, to make it back home.

…

To the uninformed eye, it looked like Jay was being kidnapped. An unmarked white van was parked in a spot right in front of the Columbus airport and a random guy was standing out by the curb, scanning the crowd for his target. The guy screamed military and confidently walked up to Jay.

"You Halstead, Jay?"

"Um, yeah." That was going to be an adjustment: hearing his last name come before his first.

"Great, follow me." The two of them walked across the deserted airport walkway and climbed into the white van. Jay claimed the back seat and stared out the window at the towering pine trees and dusty, red stained roads. About twenty minutes later, they pulled up to a daunting gate that guarded a legit fortress. Now getting that in-person persecutive of the place, he understood why these places rarely got attacked. Only the dumbest would try to take down a compound the size of a small city. Everything was massive and had multiple layers of security. He nervously watched the van get scanned, suddenly worried they'd find something in his bags. The guy checking ID didn't let out an ounce of emotion. He'd stare at the image on their IDs for a minute before staring into their souls. Satisfied with his findings, he pressed buttons that sounded off alarms and lowered the ramp for the van to cross into the base. A windy, long drive through the base led them to a building that looked like a college dorm the size of a skyscraper. Jay climbed out and stared at the place, realizing this was home for the next sixty days.

"Whoa." The driver did something rare: smiled.

"Welcome to Fort Benning."

…

Perhaps the biggest hurdle in those early days of boot camp was the adjustment. No longer did one have the freedom of choice. Everything from hours of sleep to type of food that was eaten was controlled by the people over them. In the beginning, Jay felt like he'd signed up for prison, the lack of a record when you leave being the only difference. As much as he looked forward to the high stakes, adrenaline-pumping mission that were ahead, he somewhat overlooked the process of going from an independent person to a highly skilled obedient operative. The other shocking truth was the irregular sleep, eating, and training patterns. Sleep was often limited to three to four hour shifts and meals were sometimes only once or twice a day. Life in a war zone isn't scheduled. Sometimes you'll get plenty of sleep while at times it'll be days between recharges. This early stage was to instill that truth in applicants and help weed out the serious candidates from the imposters. Looking back, it was clear to see it's intentions, but in the moment, Jay would admit to questioning if he made the right decision.

While the Ranger academy doesn't have a bell to ring or towel to throw in when one's reached their limits, there are several pass/fail challenges throughout the course. Jay would never forget the first meeting with the instructors. There were two hundred candidates in that meeting and the drill sergeant told them he'd be impressed if ten percent of them reached the other side of training. That perked up Jay's determination. He was the tallest or stealthiest or sharpest shooter in the group. As he sized the group up, he calculated that he wasn't in that ten percent bracket. Challenge, meet Jay Halstead. Jay Halstead, meet your challenge for the next sixty days. He didn't rest well that evening, partly because they were allowed a small amount, but mostly because Jay didn't like the idea of failing. It wasn't in him but he couldn't see a clear path to passing. It was during their early morning run/breeze that it finally hit him: pick them off one by one. Be faster, train longer, figure out how to aim and shoot better. The Rangers weren't looking for those already prepped for the field, but rather, were looking for willing lumps of clay awaiting their mold. So for the rest of boot camp that's how Jay pushed himself to his limit. Everyday was a new opportunity to reach that next level of discovery. He went from hating change to fully embracing it, hoping that his mental adjustment would pay off soon. He couldn't help but smile when each meeting required fewer and fewer chairs. His slightly evil, but necessary plan was paying off.

The first pass/fail hurdle came just a couple days into the boot camp process. It was testing the candidates jump skills. Now, we're not talking about jumping out of windows or from a high ledge, but jumping out of a plane and safely parachuting down to the ground. For a majority of the recruits, this was going to be there first time doing this, Jay included. Prior to ascending into the clouds, everyone was required to watch a demonstration on the proper and improper pre-jump preparation. From there, they all got to stand on the ground and watch one of the instructors successfully jump and land on a target the size of a dinning room table. For a good chunk of their missions, reaching a zone or target would require parachuting and landing in a tight space. Therefore, if you couldn't bravely and accurately complete the task, then there wasn't a point in continuing your training. Jay will never forget the first climb to altitude. He was visually freaked out, finding it hard to control the shake in his hands and feet and was positive his face was pure white. He'd frequently close his eyes, visualizing what the instructors told them and going through the hand motions of deploying the chute. He truly forced himself to stand as the large ramp pried open minutes later. Every fiber of him screamed to back away. But he found himself in a do or die, fight or flight mode. It was this or he'd be cleaning out his bunk. He leaned forward seconds after the call was made to jump. For a couple of seconds, he had that sickening roller coaster feeling all over his body. But once he realized that he had a safety net strapped around him and that he was in control, it became incredible, therapeutic almost. He was totally hooked. The biggest grin spread across his face as his feet reunited with earth, totally relieved and elated that he actually conquered that unknown fear. He turned to see that a little more than seventy percent of the group made it back down. As he detached himself from the chute, he couldn't help but cross imaginary Xs over their names. That percentile was decreasing and he was still hanging around.

It was during the pre-jump prep for a night jump that he met Matt 'Rev' DeSilva. He was a Georgia native that had an odd accent. It was a combo of country and mountain and he often tried to camouflage it, making most of those around him wish he came with closed captions. The nickname is sourced from his life before the Rangers. He was in his senior year at seminary school when he felt the calling. He had plans to become a youth pastor at a church in Atlanta, but life had a larger field in mind for him. The first day of boot camp was the two week anniversary of him graduating. He walked for graduation, took a week trip to Charleston, and then packed his bags for Columbus. Jay had noticed him early on, but never had the courage or mindset to talk to his 'competitors.' Tonight though, he couldn't help but notice an uneasiness radiating off of Rev. He empathized with him, knowing he was in that mental place not too long ago. He was fidgeting with his harness straps when Jay walked over to him.

"Nervous?" Rev looked up with a startled look.

"What, I'm sorry?"

"It's fine. It's one thing to see the bottom, another thing to leap into an abyss." Rev chuckled a little.

"Very true. Matt DeSilva from Dawsonville." He extended a hand and Jay accepted.

""Jay Halstead from Chicago."

"Chicago, wow. How are you liking the South's fine weather?"

"The humidity is killer, but it's great." The instructor gave them the two minute warning, ushering everyone to the plane warming up on the runway. Jay walked a couple of feet before turning around, looking at a pitiful, terrified Rev.

"C'mon man. Don't flunk out on this. Just remember the altimeter thing they told us and everything will be fine." Jay walked back to Matt, waiting for him to put one foot forward. They both grabbed seats next to each other and Jay practically kicked him out the back of the plane when the time was right. The ride down was pitch black and endless, the night vision goggles doing little to help one see the ground. Jay kept staring at his meter before the magic number flashed over the screen. He breathed a small sigh of relief as the shoot slowed his free fall to a controllable rate. He'd admit to being surprised when he made hard contact with the ground, but thoroughly enjoyed the daunting task. He looked over to his left to see Rev make a bumpy landing. Jay gave him a big, dorky thumbs up and Rev returned the gesture with a fist pump. While Jay had every intention of making it into that coveted ten percent group, he now wanted to share that honor with his newfound jump buddy.

…

Perhaps the toughest, most intimidating challenge during that Benning leg of boot camp was the obstacle course. It wasn't your field day or _Wipe Out_ course This one was similar to something you'd see on _American Ninja Warrior_, but on steroids. At the beginning of camp, candidates were warned of the incoming challenge and advised them to prepare at once. And, of course, the training for the course was designed and supervised by the instructors. It was a challenge inside of a bigger challenge. The overarching lesson of it all was to test a candidates' physical endurance and mental determination while seeing how well they responded to harsh challenges. War isn't for the half hearted or mentally lazy and Jay picked up on that fairly quickly. The training for the big exam began with a four mile run every day. The run wasn't a pleasant jog through the woods, but a full out breeze that was allowed to occasionally slow down to a quick pace. In numerical terms, candidates needing to be hitting a mile every nine minutes in order to confidently complete the upcoming challenge. From there, training traveled to the gym. Immediately after the run, candidates went straight into cardio training. That would range from push-ups to dead lifts, each requiring numerous successions of each. Finally, candidates were allowed to relax with some weight lifting, and not five to ten pound weights. Jay wasn't sure what drew his attention, but he picked up fairly quickly that a certain sergeant made it a personal mission to get him to fail.

His name was Sergeant Ortiz and he was a small, but intimidating person. While he was only five foot seven, his muscle mass and boisterous voice made him feared and revered by all. Jay would complete the run portion of training and Ortiz would almost always demand he do it again, claiming Jay was too slow. Without showing frustration, Jay would nod and begin again, pushing himself even farther the next time. During cardio, he'd do everything ten more times than the others, and the weights were always a little heavier than the rest. Jay's mindset in the beginning was despise for the tiny man, but by the halfway mark of Benning, that all changed. With each surpassing of the day, he realized that he hadn't given up and, surprisingly, looked forward to finding a new level of ability. It hit him one day that he was standing out, but for good reasons. That man saw something in Jay that he himself couldn't envision at the time, only to be found by continuous pushing. He was being crafted into a superb, victorious version of himself and Jay became grateful for the man's unwavering efforts.

The day before the final test was a day filled with torrential rains. The running course was flooded and thick with mud. Jay awoke that morning filled with excitement, ready to face and conquer this latest element. He broke quick and wound up finishing ahead of the pack, looking over to Ortiz for the barking to begin again. Sure enough, he gave him the finger, motioning to go another round. Along the route, Jay's footing went awkward and he wound up twisting his ankle. He made it one step before tripping in pain, stopping for seconds to breath it all out. The mental clock ticked loudly in his mind and he was soon up and jogging, every step making him want to pass out a little more. He reached the finish line a little under his first run, trying to hide his limp as he walked around catching his breathe. His ankle was in the early stages of swelling and bruising as he completed the gym portion of training. As the spotter carefully returned the weights to their wrack, Jay sat up and hung his head down, feeling the shakes running through his very being. He closed his eyes before standing, now really feeling the full effect of the sprained ankle. It was at this point Ortiz walked over and placed a hand on Jay's shoulder.

"Good job, Halstead," he quietly spoke. Jay only nodded, convinced this moment was a figure of his oxygen deprived mind.

"Go get that looked at, son. Take the rest of the day off if you're advised to." Jay wasn't sure if he wanted to cry or do a celebratory dance. In the battle between mind over matter, he scored a crushing victory.

…

Naturally, the dawning of the final test was a foggy one. It was late summer, transitioning into early fall now and the air had that first twinge of coolness. The rain from the previous night made everything soggy and the humidity plum thick. Jay awoke that morning almost as refreshed as he was day one of camp. The nurses gave him told him to rest the previous day and he fully committed to the command. He slept twelve hours yesterday, icing his ankle when he was awake and coherent. Today the ankle was still swollen and bruised but he tried his best to ignore the shooting pain. As the other candidates went about their morning workout, Jay stayed around the barracks. He lightly jogged that morning, every step feeling like the one that would make his ankle snap. But it held on and soon he was gathering with the rest of the group, listening to the barking of the day's activities.

"Listen up! Groups of twelve will leave at a time and begin with the worm pit before climbing the wall and walking across the log suspended thirty feet in the air. After that, you'll repel down the other side before going into the five mile run. After that, it's just a few push-ups, chin-ups, and sit-ups to the finish line. Refuse to complete any portion of the task or finish in over four hours, we appreciate your participation." Jay found himself in the leadoff pack with eleven super fit, super tall guys. Not knowing if this was another strategy to get him out, Jay took on the task and lined up at the line, fixating his eyes on the first obstacle ahead. The gun sounded and he took off sprinting, convinced he looked ridiculous running while hobbling. Every step, climb, and crawl was excruciating, but he told himself to just keep pushing. He heard instructors yelling to people they were out, but he kept going; the only way he wasn't finishing was if they dragged him off the course. At some point during the run, he felt a tightening sensation and blood dripping, but just kept going. By the time he reached the 'ups' in the test, he was relieved to be off his feet. As the whistle sounded, marking the end of his test, Jay laid there shaking. Every fiber of his being either ached or was pain-ridden and his muscle were shaking. But as he lay there with his eyes closed, he couldn't help but smile. He didn't know the final time, but just knew it was a good one. Furthermore, he pushed through something that should've sidelined him. Someone tapping on his shoulder made him come back to reality, forcing himself into a sitting position.

"Nice job, Halstead. Pack your bags, you're headed for the hills of North Georgia." The officer lent a hand and Jay accepted it, ignoring the massive limp as he beelined it for the barracks. Phase one of metamorphosis was complete.

**Out of all the chapters I've got planned out, this one was probably the hardest. We just don't have that much information about Jay's time at Benning and the kind of training he went through. Therefore, I had to find that balance between providing information and making it readable while also making it entertaining. I hope you guys liked this one. Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- The Mysterious Figure Named Mouse

**As the title states, we're finally meeting Mouse! We aren't told how, where, or when Jay and Mouse first met so this is just a fun imagination of what could've possibly happened. I hope you enjoy!**

The second leg of boot camp was scheduled to be the shortest of the three stages. During this point in time, it was highly likely that candidates would be deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq and there was a good chance they'd spend time in the mountains. The north Georgia mountains served as the closest comparison to the rocky, shallow, slippery shale terrain in the Middle East. Being a city kid, prior to boot camp, Jay had never repelled or even strapped himself into a harness. The closest he got was climbing a rock wall at a friend's birthday party when he was ten, but that was minuscule compared to what faced him. Similar to parachuting, the remaining candidates gathered at the base of a mountain and watched the instructors properly get secured in their harness and clip themselves into spots on the rock. They instructed them on the proper and improper methods before turning the reigns over to the kids. They started easy with the instructor spotting for the candidates. Jay felt his legs shaking for the first few climbs, but just kept going. He kept reminding himself that this was the easy part and someone had already gone ahead of him to secure the path. From this point forward, that element of safety and security would be entirely up to him. It took about a day for him to get comfortable with the footing and arm extensions. It was a zen like experience. His mentality transitioned from trying to not fall to truly feeling the rock, finding those natural grooves and slots that'll propel you to the next spot. Furthermore, it was an amazing workout and his still sore ankle appreciated not having to hold him up all day. Once they all learned how to get up, it was time to figure out how to get back down.

The instructors told them to take a step back and slowly let their lead down. They were all standing at the edge of the cliff and their survival rested on the clip holding them on the side of the mountain and how well they repelled down. This took a traditional trust/fail test to a whole other level. No longer were you putting your life into your hands or someone else's, but a contraption and a rock instead. Jay found himself hesitating for a couple of seconds, trying to think of some logical, realistic reason to be excused from the exercise. But alas, nothing came to mind so it was jump or be sent home. His body screamed in resistance for a few milliseconds before the side of the rock made contact with Jay's booted feet. From there, it was second nature: doing the opposite of what he'd already learned. In no time, Jay was enjoying that falling and catching sensation and eventually found a way to quicken his repelling pace. However, the most exciting and interesting part of this leg of boot camp were the stories pertaining to a mysterious person. Rumors were trickling through camp of a super skilled, excellent marksman among their ranks. Some said he was a second timer, making it to the final round of camp before being dishonorable released for personal reasons. Then there was the theory that he was a former Navy Seal who decided to transfer to Rangers camp after a year of service. Regardless of the story, there was a commonality amongst them all: the nickname Mouse. This fictitious person was silent but deadly. You could hear him moving about and see his handiwork. But if you ever get a chance to actually see him, then the damage was beyond repair. It was on the final night of the north Georgia section that Jay finally began inquiring into this Mouse character.

It was late at night and Jay found himself in a tent with two other people: Rev and New York. Dave 'New York' Banks earned his nickname because, as one could guess, hailed from the Empire State. Dave was a Bronx native who was every bit the stereotype. He had the thick, New York accent and was a diehard Jets fan. Every Sunday, he'd verbally smack himself for choosing to attend boot camp during football season. He could tell you the best pizza, deli, and hot dog stop in the city and couldn't be convinced otherwise. Jay loved to lovingly talk smack about New York and Dave returned the favor with Chicago. Tonight though, the conversation they fell asleep to was about Mouse.

"Has anyone thought that maybe this Mouse guy is a ploy from the drill sergeants to make us strive to worker harder," Jay asked? New York groaned as he rolled over.

"Ugh. Don't even throw that out there. It's hard enough keeping the theories together." Jay laughed as Rev sat up in bed.

"I've seen him." That made the other twos ear's perk up.

"Really," they responded in unison?!

"Yeah. He was at the shooting range after drills one day and I snuck in there to watch. He's on a different rotation from us so that's why we haven't ever seen him. He's not the bulky, Captain America stature that people are saying. He's just a normal looking guy who can aim and shoot really well."

"I want to see him," Jay responded. New York shrugged his shoulders.

"Not sure when that'll happen if we're on different training schedules." Rev's face lit up after a moment.

"When we get back. We have those couple of days before heading out to Arizona for the final test. Everything's open for training and there won't be any scheduling." Jay nodded, already formulating the plan. He wanted to compete with this guy in his wheelhouse. Everyone talked about how skilled of a shooter Mouse was and Jay wanted to get that first-hand experience with him. Jay wasn't a shooting legend, but he was getting close. Especially for someone who hadn't ever picked up a rifle before a few months ago. The other two occupants in the tent noticed the wheels churning in Jay's mind and smirked.

"What's the game plan," Rev interrupted?

"Shooting range when we get back. Let's see how good this guy is." Jay received collective nods and excited faces.

"Yes, definitely yes." Jay couldn't help but feel like Seabiscuit calling for a match race against War Admiral. As he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't see a non-winning scenario playing out.

…

They were correct about Mouse's appearance. He wasn't bulky and tall but rather, a lean, normal looking guy. Perhaps that's what made him deadly; he was your average guy until you got him behind the scope of a gun. It had been a week since Jay concocted his plan to 'run into' this freaky good candidate. The remaining members of boot camp shipped back down to Fort Benning six days ago and required a plane smaller than the one they took up. Their final pass/fail in the mountains of north Georgia required them to climb the side of a mountain, set up base camp on the side of the mountain, remain awake and alert the entire night before repelling down before sunrise the following morning. What the instructors didn't tell candidates was that 'enemy contact' would happen at random times during the night and candidates had to handle the situation quickly and stealthily. Everything from taking out an enemy combatant across the valley to tackling and securing a hostage without alerting the others, the goal was to stay alive and be constantly on guard while handling the mountainous terrain. Naturally, Jay and about eighty-five percent of the others passed with flying colors. Jay doesn't remember much about the flight back south because he was too busy sleeping for the first time in over thirty-six hours. But regardless, he loved that he pushed himself and came away victorious.

And now, as he stood in the gun safe preparing his rifle for battle—while listening to Mouse masterfully nail his targets—this newfound surge of confidence and determination flooded him. He scooped up his gear and selected the station right next to Mouse. Without breaking his routine, Mouse grunted a greeting and nodded at his neighbor. Jay returned with a verbal greeting before positioning himself and aligning his scope with the targets in the field. He held his finger on the safety until Mouse fired at his target. It was a perfect dead center hit. Jay released the safety and quickly fired at his target, landing in the center but close to center point. Mouse looked up from his rifle and smirked. The game was on. Mouse perfectly hit another target before waiting for Jay to do the same, which he did successfully. They then moved to smaller targets that were further away. Mouse went first, Jay followed behind, keeping right on pace with Mouse. From there it was moving targets and each kept up with the others. By now, a small crowd gathered in the viewing box behind Jay and Mouse and they couldn't contain their small talk. It was like watching a tennis match: Mouse would serve and Jay would strongly return the ball, the crowd cheering in between rounds. It was when they moved to targets shaped like humans that things got interesting. There wasn't a pattern of civilians to enemy targets. Some rounds would have an every other pattern while others would have a total shuffling of both. It was a crazy mind game that required total focus and deciphering between the two. Not surprisingly, both Mouse and Jay kept up like nothing bothered them. It was during the faster round of the human cutouts that the duel came to a close. Jay by now was firing as soon as he saw a target, breathing a small sigh of relief when the next cutout appeared. Mouse was on point with his shot and was waiting for Jay to hand it back over to him. Jay saw the figure, aimed and fired, and was soon met with a gasp.

"What," he asked he looked away from the scope. Mouse was beaming with victory. Jay looked back in his scope to see a civilian dressed like a shepherd with a bullet between his eyes. His head drooped down in defeat as Mouse gathered his things and confidently walked away. Jay sat there for several minutes, kicking himself for slipping right at the end. By now the viewing party dispersed and Jay appreciated the silence. He gathered himself after awhile and slowly headed back for the gun room. He was startled by a figure standing in the corner as he flicked the lights on.

"Holy cow, not the best place to surprise someone, man." Mouse laughed before approaching Jay with an extended hand.

"Greg Gerwitz. Nice shooting."

"Thanks, Jay Halstead." While it was just a hand shake, there was this unspoken respect between them, like it was the start of a brotherly friendship.

"Are you aware of the rumors going around this place about you," Jay asked? Mouse smiled.

"Yeah, I guess people need something to entertain themselves with while they're here."

"So, is any of it true?"

"Other than practicing a lot, no. But I got the training bug from my family. My grandfather was stationed at Pearl Harbor and completed three tours during WWII and my father fought in the Vietnam war. It's become a family tradition of sorts. All the men in my family have either served or will serve at some point. It's just what we do. Growing up on a farm in southern Illinois, you're around guns pretty often. I was given my first gun when I was ten and I haven't stopped since. My dad would set up targets and give lessons on proper gun handling. The best part was that I could practice all day long because the closest neighbor was miles away."

"Sounds like a fun childhood."

"Yeah, it was great. What's your story?"

"Well, born and raised in Chicago and wanted to do something with my life. So I signed up for this."

"Ah, a city kid. How are you enjoying the country life," Mouse jokingly asked?

"Yeah…it's different," Jay replied through a laugh. A sargeant stuck his head in the room at this point, letting them know it was time to head back to the barracks. Jay exited first, being stopped by Mouse before they went their separate ways for the night.

"Nice job, Jay. Thanks for being a worthy opponent." Jay smirked and nodded.

"Ditto." It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

…

It was a real life mission tailored to test every area of training. It was going to be a physical and mental test, the closest thing to real life battle situation. The guns would be firing blanks but the knives and fights would be very real. This was the final bridge between training and the real deal. Their final mission was to rescue a group of civilians that were taken hostage in an enemy camp. They were given intel on the compound and those residing in it. From there, it was up to the groups to create a game plan. Leaders were voted on by the groups and tasks were delegated to the remaining members of the pack. Rescue the civilians and you had successfully graduated. Get captured or lose a civilian during the raid, then you were dismissed from camp. The final pass/fail was all that stood between them and the real world. The candidates were split up into groups of seven. Jay was in a group with Rev, New York, and Mouse and also Sticks, Dalton, and someone none of them worked with named Dwayne. We'll learn more about Sticks and Dalton later. For now, back to the task at hand.

Mouse was awarded team leader with Jay as his second hand, the guy that would watch his back and make sure everyone stayed in line with the plan. They spent the next day going over the intel and formulating the plan. Rev and Sticks would make first contact, handling the guards while Mouse, Jay, and New York breached the gate. Once the front was guarded, Dalton and Rev would come behind to guard the end of the pack while Sticks and Dwayne would stand guard at the exit, waiting to alert the chopper of their needed assistance. The group bunked in the same barrack the night before the raid. None of the slept that night but rather, used their time to master the hand signals and complete countless walk throughs of the plan. When they boarded the plane for Arizona the following day, they were both exhausted and excited for the day ahead. Some viewed this D-day as something to dread, the group saw it as an opportunity to shine. They were about four hours into their flight when the radios began crackling commands and drop zones. They somehow forgot the whole jump part of training but didn't flinch. It was go time.

They all sprung from their seats on the plane and quickly donned their jump gear. Each member of the group looked at their fellow man and nodded before heading for the doors of the plane. They knew the task and how they were going to get it done. The only thing left was to execute it perfectly on the first try. Nothing to worry about, right?

The doors slowly pried open and Mouse jumped first, the rest shortly in tow. It was when they were careening to the ground that Jay concluded this was the thing he hated the most. There was this quietness and calmness up here and he hated it. The air had this eerie silence to it, like it knew chaos was going to breakout the second it's occupants hit the ground. Jay didn't know if or when calmness would return and he hated that. Nothing but panic and fighting was ahead of him. They all safely and gently reconnected with the ground, quickly gathering their parachutes before setting themselves up for the mission. It was nearly dark by now so night vision was utilized before heading towards their target. It was a slow, methodical crawl and march to the enemy camp, but they made it without incident. They were a hundred yards away from the front gate when they stopped, Mouse giving Rev and Sticks the hand signals to begin advancing. They made it about twenty feet when the shots began coming at them. Dalton and Dwayne turned around, looking for the source firing at them.

"Got two targets just west of us," Dalton whispered. Mouse kept his vision straight ahead, not losing the task at hand.

"If you have a shot, take it," he calmly replied. Dalton raised his gun in the direction of the shots and waited for the next round. It hit about ten feet away from him, gave him the location of the shooter. He watched as the bullet exited his rifle and made contact with the combatant a moment later. Dwayne followed suit and had the same result a short time later.

"Target handled," they both replied. Mouse only nodded a satisfied reply. Jay quietly adjusted in his crouch, waiting for the breach signal from Rev and Sticks. They heard shouts and gunfire for a minute or so till silence echoed in the valley. Two clicks on the radio told them they were clear for the breach. Jay, Mouse and New York broke from their spot and quickly jogged to the front gate.

"Nice job, boys," Mouse whispered as they past Rev and Sticks. Jay just smirked. Mouse was clearly in his element and it was almost funny to witness. The raided each room methodically. Every corner, door, and window was met with caution, one person telling the others to wait for clearance before continuing. They eventually came to the epicenter of the compound and found a door in the floor, indicating this was where the civilians were being kept. They all found the lack of enemy fire odd, but continued on. They slowly crawled down the hallway to a small hole in the wall. Mouse entered first, alerting the group he had civilians and needed assistance getting them out. Jay slinked into the hole first. The civilians were really a group of the instructors and sergeants from camp, but they played along with the scenario. They pretended to be startled and scarred, Jay reassuring them as he undid their restraints.

"We've got you. You're going home," Jay told one of the civilians as a figure from the corner lunged out at him with a knife, the blade making contact with the base of his neck. He felt the pain for half a second before remembering he still had a job to do. Ignoring the blood dripping, he grabbed his handgun and pointed it at the attacker, commanding him to drop the knife and kneel down. When the attacker responded by going after one of the civilians, Jay aimed and shot the person center mass, watching him go limp as he landed on the ground. By now, shouting was sounding above and around them, making the group kick things into gear. Jay and Dalton took the lead, continually reminding the civilians to remain behind and stay with them. Jay holstered his handgun before grabbing the rifle with the night vision scope, readying himself for whatever was on the other side. It was a constant stop and go process, several times holding the group up to handle enemy attackers before moving forward. The entire thing took fifteen minutes, but felt like three hours to those playing a role in the raid. But eventually they made it to the safe zone and huddle with the civilians as the chopper landed in the safe zone. The group hurried the civilians onto the chopper before climbing on and telling the pilot to take off. It as the compound grew smaller that they all began to smile and cheer. No one was captured and everyone was safely rescued. Mission accomplished. Jay finally remembered he was hit by knife and began to pull clothing away from the injury sight, getting weird looks from his teammates.

"That's nice," Mouse announced as Jay revealed the source of his bleeding.

"Is it deep," Jay inquired?

"Nah, but it'll leave and gnarly scar," New York said. Mouse radioed to base that they'd need medical assistance when they landed, Jay rolling his eyes over the serious tone of Mouse's voice. They landed twenty minutes later, greeted by a roar of applause from the training staff on the base. No longer were they nameless candidates being continuously grilled. They were one of them: United States Army Rangers. Mouse looked over at Jay as they walked off the chopper and into the hanger. It was a very awesome moment that made them feel ten times cooler than they'd ever felt. A member of the medical staff met Jay at the giant doors and inspected the injury on his neck.

"You need a few stitches," the nurse announced and ushered him to a treatment room. She made him disrobe down to the undergarments, Jay sighing and fighting the urge to protest the entire time. This was so un-macho and he greatly disliked it. He was given clean clothing and told to lie down on a gurney as the nurse rolled a suturing tray close to the bed. Jay winced at the shot of lidocaine being injected into his neck before dozing off as she stitched the cut closed. Jay was snoring as she put the gauze pad on his neck. Jay slept there for an hour or so, being rudely jolted awake by Mouse's constant jostling of his shoulder.

"What," Jay gruffly asked?

"Get up, man. They're waiting for us."

"What?!"

"The badge thing. We're waiting for you." Jay looked around the room for a moment as he nodded. Mouse helped him sit up before heading for the door, impatiently looking at Jay as he slowly walked towards the door.

"You alright, Jay?"

"Yeah, just really tired."

"Join the club. And next time, remember to duck." Jay smacked the back of Mouse's head before heading to the badge ceremony. It was tradition for candidates to get their Rangers badge attached to the shoulder of their combat uniform at the end of their final mission. It was the formal ending of their training program. For most, it was an official thing with the salute and attire and picture and everything. For those present for Jay's graduation, they all had a good laugh over his official entrance into the Rangers. He had serious bed head, was groggy from the mild sedative, and had a massive white gauze pad on his neck. He was the personification of surviving one of the hardest boot camps in the U.S. military. Jay didn't care how much grief he got for the photo. Because, after all the pain and endurance and challenges they all faced, he found himself in that coveted ten percent bracket.

**I don't know if anyone has noticed, but in real life, Jesse has this scar at the base of his neck. I thought it'd be kinda fun to incorporate that into the story. In other news, we've made it to the end of boot camp! Now the fun stuff begins. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- The Moment Before It Begins

**Hey guys! Baseball season is back! We are slowing things down a bit this chapter. This is going to be the couple of weeks when Jay goes back home before being deployed and therefore, were getting some Halstead family moments. Enjoy!**

They were standing at the entrance for the L train. O'hare has this maze-like course from the gate to the place where you head into the city. You go down an elevator and weave through several hallways, doorways, and one of those flat escalators before finally reaching the train to the city. Jay decided to take the flat escalator partly because he was too drained to walk much more, but mostly because it was a ton of fun, even for adults. He had just gotten off when he noticed the familiar trio. Pat was standing next to his wife Kimberly, holding her hand while scanning the people making their way to the L. Will on the other hand was shifting his weight between his legs, just gazing around with an unenthused look, giving off the impression he wanted to be anywhere but his current position. Which Jay found interesting because their last interaction was good. He made a small face before mentally reminding himself to get to the bottom of that one. Jay called to his parents and Kimberly took off, meeting him halfway between Jay and the rest of the family. She'd waited a long time to see and hold her son and couldn't wait a moment longer. Jay was still limping a little from the ankle and was appreciative for her gesture.

"How are you," Jay asked as his mother squeezed him extra tight. He felt a nod against his shoulder, figuring tears were keeping her from speaking. Jay looked over towards his Dad and gave him a look, Pat mouthing, 'she missed you.' Kimberly pulled away after a bit and thoroughly inspected her eldest son, a little surprised how beat up he appeared.

"What's with the thing on your neck," she inquired? By now Jay had traded the large gauze pad for a series of steri-strips and had almost forgotten about it. He touched the area before replying.

"Oh, I slipped. It's fine. It'll heal in a couple of weeks." Kimberly gave him a smirky nod, not believing the story but going along with it. She turned around and gestured for the rest of them to move. Pat came in first, giving his son a quick hug before stepping away and lovingly smacking his shoulder. It was his way of showing how proud he was. Will waited till last, just nodding at Jay before looking towards Kimberly and gesturing towards the waiting trains. She gave him a look before caving, commanding everyone to get a move on. Jay gathered his bags and the reunited group of four made their way home.

It was late October by now and Chicago was stunning. Jay hadn't done this trek from O' Hare to home in awhile and he'd forgotten how stunning it was. The leaves were at peak levels of gold, red, and orange and the world had that crisp look to it. He'd grown accustomed to the warmer, mild fall in the South and was grateful to be back in time to still experience this incredible season. He also forgot how weird it was to run down the middle of the interstate. It was odd looking down at people stopped in traffic while you're whizzing by them. They were used to it, Jay found it humorous. His mother broke his concentration of the world when they were a couple of stops away from the train switch.

"Hey, are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I haven't eaten since I left." She started to scold him, but he beat her to it.

"I wasn't hungry then and I just wanted to get back." She nodded.

"Well, I made spaghetti and meatballs and I made a lot. You better be hungry. You've definitely gotten smaller since we last saw you."

"Yeah, I know. It's for the training."

"I know, but know you're under my control again and I'm fattening you up." Jay smirked before rolling his eyes in a humorous manner. He knew she was right and loved getting back into a normal way of life.

"Deal."

…

The house had a weird smell. Like when you go on vacation and come back and notice an odd odor. It's that thing where everyone has a unique scent and everyone else can smell it but you can't. Now standing at the base of the steps, Jay finally got that moment of sniffing and finding it weird. He looked around and swore something was different. The furniture was the same and the colors hadn't changed, but something felt off. He couldn't put his finger on it, concluding it was his exhaustion messing with him. Will bolted up the stairs as soon as they arrived and Jay still didn't say anything. The last thing he wanted to do was start an argument after being away for so long. When the time was right, he'd inquire Will on his own. Kimberly was in the kitchen by now with Pat close in tow. They noticed Jay standing in his place and didn't say anything, just letting him get re-acclimated with things. Jay eventually told himself to move and he headed for his room.

"I'm going to shower really quick and then I'll be down." Kimberly shouted an 'ok' as Jay closed the bedroom door. His room felt like a time capsule. His textbooks were scattered between the desk, floor, and his nightstand. The bed was messed up and the closet was practically throwing clothes out of it's door. It appeared that life hit the pause button on his room. Nothing had been touched for six weeks was seriously like going back in time. Not that he expected her to, but Jay was surprised that his nothing didn't clean the room up. She was a die-hard neat freak and Jay was sure it killed her to see the place at this level of disarray. But then the thought struck: it was evidence of him living under her roof. While they did their best to hide it, Jay knew his decision to enlist was still hard for them, and that was probably never going to change. Their son had decided to put himself in harm's way with the very real likelihood that he wouldn't come home. In that moment, he was thankful for their quick support of him, knowing how easily that scenario could've been very different. He also concluded that he needed to make this brief time at home as normal and smooth as possible, starting with getting cleaned up and back downstairs as quickly as possible.

…

It was as Jay was getting out of the bathroom that he heard yelling and protesting before the front door slammed closed. He paused for a moment, trying to hear the post-game conversation happening right under them. There was muttering and pure silence before the kitchen sink went back on. Jay had a pretty good idea the argument involved Will but shook it off. He opened his door and gingerly headed down the stairs, standing at the kitchen doorway and observing the three plates at the table.

"Will's not eating," he asked? Kimberly sighed as she replied.

"He made plans with friends. I'm sorry, honey."

"Hey, it's fine. It's not a big deal, seriously." His mother gave him a thankful smile before placing the food on the table. Jay took his usual spot at the table while his parents took both ends. It was almost nice to just have that parents/son meal with them. While he wished Will was there, he didn't know when he'd get this kind of time alone with them. Jay gave them the G-rated version of his last few weeks. He told them about the size and grandeur of Fort Benning and how different the way of life was down South. He went into the mountain segment of training and explained how incredible it was too be in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Living in the Mid-West, mountains are few and far between. Jay tried to best to describe the scenery and peacefulness of that way of life. He also told them about Mouse, Rev, Sticks, New York, and everyone he met along the way. The final task was a skimming, leaving out the knife incident and getting shot at. The whole time, his parents nodded or reacted with sounds or one word replies. They were appreciative of Jay filling them in and wanted to give him their total attention and Jay loved that. Time passed too quickly. Jay looked over at the clock on the oven and noticed it was quarter to twelve. They'd been at the table for four hours.

"Holy cow, it's late, " Kimberly replied through a yawn. Jay joined her in yawning, stretching his arms out as he did so.

"I'll clean up," Jay offered.

"It's late dear and I'm sure you're tired." Jay started to protest but she wasn't having it.

"No, you've had a day on top of many weeks. Go upstairs." Jay reluctantly nodded, thanking both parents before shuffling back upstairs.

"Thanks guys, love you!"

"Love you too," they called back. Jay made it to slamming the bedroom door before collapsing and passing out for the night…or so he thought.

…

He awoke to footsteps tip-toeing up the stairs. Thank you stealth training. Jay rolled over and looked at his clock, reading two forty-five in the morning. He rolled onto his back and contemplated getting up or letting Will sleep. He laid there for serval minutes, going back and forth before deciding to head out. He ever-so-slowly cracked his door open, weary of the occasional creaking. He stalked down the hall before quietly knocking on Will's door, getting a startled sound on the other side. Jay opened the door and stood in the doorway, practically laughing at Will who looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"What the heck, I thought you were Dad." Jay smirked before closing the door behind him and sitting on a chair in the room. The two of them stared at each other with weird looks, the room thick with so many unanswered questions and obvious tension.

"Look, I'm not here to judge or make you feel bad, but what's going on? You're giving off this vibe that you don't want me here." Will exhaled before laying back on the bed, rubbing his eyes while concocting an answer.

"You wouldn't get it."

"Try me."

"When you first left, Mom cried for a couple of days. She didn't come out of her room. Dad and I were worried. It was like you died or something and I hated that you were putting her, all of us, through that. And then you come back and expect things to be normal. They're not, everything is going to be different and not in a good way. No matter what, things will never go back to the way things were before." Jay hung his head as Will spoke, deeply feeling the guilt and conviction. While he didn't like Will's delivery, he got the message: they all were taking this hard and rightfully so. Half of him wanted to just quit while the other reminded him this was all part of the job. The room resumed its' silence for a moment, Will looking up at the ceiling while Jay looked at the floor. Neither one of them was sure who was supposed to go next.

"I'm sorry that I bugged out, but I needed to get away for awhile," Will finally said.

"No, it's fine. You don't need to apologize. I get it, truly." Will nodded, Jay ignoring the tears forming in Will's eyes.

"Maybe I've done a good job of hiding it, but I hate that I'm putting you guys through this. I can only imagine how difficult everything has been.."

"-And it's only going to get worse," Will interrupted.

"Yeah, which is why, while we have this time at home, we need to make things as normal as possible. Don't do it for me, I know what I signed up for. Do it for Mom and Dad, try to make good memories for them to remember when I leave. I'm sorry, but this is what I'm supposed to be doing." Will nodded, finding the detail in the pillowcase fascinating.

"When do you leave," Will asked after a bit?

"Two weeks." Will looked up at Jay.

"Yeah, I know, it's not a lot of time," Jay replied. He noticed the time of morning was three twenty now and got up. He had his hand on the door handle when Will stopped him.

"Ok." Jay nodded before heading back down the hall. Despite the tiredness his body was screaming, Jay didn't sleep well that night. He spent the majority of the night staring at the ceiling, reassuring himself this was all going to be worth it at some point.

…

Over the next week, Jay found himself asleep more than awake. While boot camp mentally prepared him for battle, his body was wrecked. He'd never been so physically wasted and drained. This is a common symptom after any type of boot camp. Mentally, you're ready to go. The body had an unpleasant way of reminding the mind it needed a minute. Early on, he was convinced every muscle in his body had been worked out and overly stretched. He'd wake up in the middle of the night tight and swollen, rolling over to down an above average dose of Advil. For a moment, his mother was worried her son would never maneuver in a normal way. He'd slowly step down the stairs like a little kid, taking each step one by one, small steps at a time. He did his best to play things off, but couldn't fool her. There was a particular moment early one morning Kimberly found Jay leaning against the counter eating a bowl of ice cream topped with sriracha and salsa. She was concerned at first, but noticed the tired, out-of-it expression on his face and started laughing.

"Jay, honey, what are you doing?" He didn't budge, just kept eating spoonfuls and staring into nothing. She crept a little closer and spoke louder.

"Jay, that's really gross." Still nothing. It was when she gently touched his shoulder that he jumped, dropping the bowl as his mother raced to save it before hitting the floor.

"What," Jay inquired as she placed everything in the sink and started belly laughing.

"You were just sleep walking and eating. Other than that, nothing at all." Jay just rubbed his faced and moaned.

"Ugh, I'm so tired and hungry and just…" His face went beet red with embarrassment as Kimberly grabbed her son's shoulder and helped him back upstairs. It was odd having her tuck him back into bed, but he let her do it. If it's what made things feel normal, then he didn't care. She placed a kiss on his forehead before shutting the lights off and heading for the door. She paused for a moment and took the scene in, mentally snapshotting this peaceful scene of her son.

"Do you want me to lock the door so you don't go back down," she jokingly asked? Jay's tiredness was nearly consuming him by now, only getting out a slight nod before entirely passing out. She quietly locked the door before closing it and heading down the hallway. She wasn't sure if this was a funny or sad moment for Jay but ultimately decided to opt for the first choice. For now, she wanted to live in denial that her son wasn't going to drastically change one way or the other.

…

It was a small mission of Jay's: reconnecting with Will and having some brotherly time before he left. Will was nearing his college years now and it hit Jay that the family dynamics were going to quickly change. In a few months, their parents were going to go from having everyone under one roof to both their children in various parts of the world. He hated they were going to make them empty nesters sooner than anticipated. Therefore, the least he could do was show their parents that both he and Will would get along great in their young adult years. When Will was not at school, the two of them would take rides into the heart of the city, picking a park or area of town each day to dive into. They'd walked the Riverwalk several times and eaten their heart out at many _Lou Manalti's_ locations. Will was not into it at first, but they eventually looked forward to their time together. During dinner, Will would throw out random things and Jay would willingly agree to them. Tonight though, they were sitting in Millennium Park, gazing at the tourist watering hole—Cloud Gate—while downing tacos from some local spot. It was fun being a native of the city, people watching the interesting characters the bean attracted. It was late afternoon by now and the crispness of the air was attacking. The early signs of those harsh winters was upon them. Will somewhat dreaded it, Jay lapped it up, figuring it would be awhile before he felt cold air against his skin. However, this was not the topic of conversation he wanted to bring up tonight. There was a little caveat of boot camp he hadn't told anyone yet, hoping to hold it off till the last minute. It was an unpleasant piece of news but one that needed to be told. With this one-on-one time, no better time like the present.

"So, Will, I need to fill you in on something and you cannot tell Mom and Dad till it's absolutely necessary."

"Ok?!" Will shifted in his seat, a little nervous for what was about to spill out.

"The day before we left camp, they made us write a will and letter in case anything happens. I left everything to you. I don't really have anything, but I can't leave that for Mom and Dad, it would be too much for them to deal with. And I also left the letter in you name. I want you to receive it and read it to them. I know you can handle it." Will just stared straight out into nothing, a little shell shocked from what he was hearing. This is something you never hear or even think about. You get that people leave and then either come back or don't, but you never consider the second act of that. You forget there's a good chance those fighting won't get a chance to say goodbye and take care of their affairs. He was both grateful and terrified for the gigantic task that was just bestowed upon him. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to talk or smile or do anything. They both sat on the bench for awhile in silence, Jay glad he finally got that out and Will wanting to erase the last few minutes. Through a shaky voice, Will finally broke the silence.

"Was it…I can't imagine having to do that. It was awful, right?" Jay looked down at his hands while he spoke.

"Pretty much." Will just nodded, returning his gaze to the world in front of him. There were kids laughing as their parents chased them, not a care apparent on their faces. Everyone was smiling, laughing, happy. Families were taking pictures of their pleasant moment while young couples were sneaking in kisses under the bean. People were oblivious of the very real danger and darkness in this world. Furthermore, they seemed to not noticed to two people in the corner with solemn faces, discussing the possibility of one of them not being present in the near future. Will wanted to scream at them, explain to them how stupid they all were right now. Their happiness was not helping his fear and he desperately wanted them to go away.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." Jay just nodded, refusing to let the emotions out.

"I'll do it," Will announced. Jay looked over at him and patted his shoulder, grateful for his willingness to play that horrific role.

"And no, I won't tell Mom and Dad unless I have to." Jay gave him one more pat before getting up to throw his garbage away.

"So, college, what do you want to do," Jay asked as he sat down. Will gave him a puzzled look.

"That's what you want to talk about after that?"

"Anything is better than that." Will smirked and rubbed the tops of his legs before speaking.

"Um, I really want to do pre-med. I like science and you know of my fascination with _ER_." Jay rolled his eyes at that last part.

"Well, does that mean Northwestern?" Will shook his head.

"I want to go to school in New York. They have so many great options and a lot more hospitals with residences then here. Plus, I want to see another part of the world."

"I get that," Jay replied.

"Sounds hard, are you sure you're up for that?"

"Yeah, it's my passion and I'm not scared the challenge."

"Then go forth and conquer." Will smiled for a moment, eternally grateful for having an older brother like Jay.

"Thanks Jay, I appreciate this."

"Ditto." Jay got up and carefully stretched out his tired legs.

"Why don't we head back. They're going to freak out if we're not home soon." Will joined Jay in standing and soon they were heading back towards the L. Just two guys immersing themselves in the Chicago hustle and bustle, totally unaware how quickly this dynamic would change in the coming months.

…

It was early November now, two days before Jay's first deployment. Kimberly realized Jay would be missing Thanksgiving and Christmas this year and was not having that. She knew they couldn't get a tree and gifts just yet, but figured Thanksgiving wasn't going to be that hard to pull off. She spent a whole day shopping and baking the day before, much to Jay's pestering. He hated being the reason for all the hassle, but eventually went along with it. He'd sneak into the kitchen countless times and offer to help, getting shooed away each time. She wanted everything to be like a normal Thanksgiving: her doing the cooking while the rest of them watched TV and cleaned up afterwords. The Halstead Thanksgiving coincidently fell on Sunday and they all enjoyed some Bears football while she stood over the hot stove and oven. It was during halftime of the late game that she yelled for them to get to the table. The Halstead men couldn't help but chuckle over the spread. Turkeys weren't out yet to she used two chickens instead. Canned cranberries were substituted for an interesting looking cranberry compote and the stuffing was non-existent. She was carrying out the mashed potatoes when she noticed their laughing facial expressions, ready to severely attack them.

"I will smack every one of you if you don't stop. They didn't have everything and.."

"-Mom, it's perfect, thank you," Jay quickly interrupted, looking to the others for an agreement. Pat and Will nodded, trying their best to hide their smirks and chuckles. They took their seats and Kimberly began the opening question.

"Alright, what is everyone thankful for?" Pat said her and her fine cooking, Will mumbled something about almost being done with school. Jay paused for a moment before replying.

"These last two weeks. It's been fun not having to do anything and the sleep and food have been a welcoming gift. Thanks guys for allowing me to do this." He knew he didn't need to go into detail and was glad they got what 'this' meant. As they passed the elements of the meal around the table, Jay tried to block out the events he knew were coming soon. He was going to be stationed in Afghanistan and his first mission would be a search and rescue detail deep in a hostile environment. Of course, he was going to tell them before be left, but tonight was not that moment. This was that final gasp of normalcy before his world was drastically altered. So he laughed and ate and absorbed every aspect of the evening. He refused to believe this was the last supper. No matter what, he had to get back home to this, preferably alive.

**I have this family friend whose son was deployed a few years ago. This friend told us about the night his son told him he had to fill out a will and farewell letter in case anything happened to him. He was a teenager then and obviously upset over the possibility of his parents having to read the letter and the will. This was something that I never even thought about. We don't think about that part or try to push it away from our mindsets. But for a lot of people, that's a moment in their life story and I cannot imagine having to go through that. I have so much admiration and respect for the parents of soldiers. It really is a service for their country and they deserve all the love and respect. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to really capture these little moments before we get into the craziness of war time. Also, if anyone knows Mrs. Halstead's name, please let me know! I could not find it anywhere so I'm really guessing at this point. Next chapter, we get things going. Thank you so much for reading! **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- The First Tour

The plane made a hard contact with the Berlin ground, making Jay jolt out of his deep sleep. He yawned as he looked out the window and got his first glimpse of Europe. This was his first international flight and he mentally kicked himself for not taking the longevity of it more seriously. His neck was stiff from resting on the hard, minuscule headrest behind him and his legs fell asleep somewhere around hour nine. He tried to busy himself with a book but kept going back to the farewell at the airport. It was awful to say the least. No one spoke on the ride over to the airport and Kimberly couldn't stop bawling once they arrived at the drop-off zone. This wasn't a couple of weeks on a military base but six months on the battlefield. The dread was going to be present between now and when he got back and Jay absolutely hated putting them through this. The hug he and his mother shared was the longest and Jay didn't mind that at all. Will resumed his silent, upset attitude, only giving Jay a quick nod and 'be careful.' Pat was somewhere in the middle. He was quiet at first but offered the emotional farewell when it was time. The whole farewell ceremony took five minutes and Jay didn't think it should last much longer. The moment had come to put all his words, training, and skills into action. He scooped up his stuff, turned around, and headed straight for the entrance. This was final moment of normal life for awhile and he was ready to jump into the unknown. And now, as he stood in the aisle waiting to board another plane for his final destination, he couldn't help but sense it was him against the world.

The logistics of getting to an Army base in the middle of a war is a rather interesting follow. The itinerary was for Jay to fly out of O-Hare and land in Berlin. From there, he'd be picked up by military officials and spend the night at a safe house in the city before being driven to an airstrip where an Army plane would carry him and his team to their home for the next six months: an undisclosed location somewhere in Afghanistan. For security reasons, Jay was instructed to dress like a civilian and behave in that manner during his time in Berlin. War is a constant game of deception and advantage and you never knew who or what was watching you. Jay maneuvered his way through the gate and hallways and walkways before finally reaching the pick-up zone. He was told to look for a white Volkswagen SUV and a bearded guy, soon realizing this was just a small testing of his deciphering skills. Everyone matched that description. He opted to walk down the sidewalk till someone called him over, which worked out swimmingly.

"Hey, Halstead," someone whispered three cars down from the starting point. Jay threw his bags in first before settling into the back row and closing the door. The driver turned around and thoroughly scanned Jay, somewhat approving after a moment.

"Interesting choice," he muttered before turning the key in the ignition. Jay looked down at his jeans jacket, Chicago Cubs sweatshirt, joggers and sneakers before smirking. It was the perfect blend-in: dress like a tourist.

The drive was a hectic half hour journey, but soon they found themselves in a suburban-life street somewhere on the outskirts of town. All the houses were identical with brick fronts and steps and rod irons railings. It was nearly dark now and everything was dreary from the steady mist falling. Jay stepped out of the car and took his surroundings, feeling like he was in the middle of a Tom Clancy novel. Everything was silent and calm, so different from what he was accustomed to. The driver escorted him into the house before re-setting the high-tech security system. While the house appeared normal on the outside, inside, it was a state of the art intelligence department. The rooms were filled with wires, computers, and maps and several people running about. Jay quickly figured out this was a major hub in the European division and was likely the place where they'd be receiving info while in Afghanistan. They didn't notice him wandering about, looking in at what they were doing and he enjoyed it. Some rooms were set-up for wire tapping while others had large screens looping scans from satellites. It was a full functioning military intelligence unit and Jay was enamored by it all. He was amazed they pulled this off with none of the neighbors noticing. He walked into the kitchen and a figure bent over in a refrigerator perked up his attention.

"Mouse?!" Greg stuck his head out, milk jug and cereal box in hand.

"Hey, when did you get here?!" Jay chuckled while pointing at Mouse's loot.

"Just a few minutes ago. Hungry?!"

"Yeah. What kind of animal stores cereal in the fridge?!" Jay watched Mouse scrounge for a bowl and spoon before combining the ingredients and chowing down. He was nearly done with his serving before coming up for air.

"You want some?!" Jay shook his head, a little disgusted by Mouse's eating habits.

"This is all kinda nuts. How do they pull this off without people catching on?"

"Because this whole street is pretty much owned by the U.S. Federal Government. It's a lot of moving parts, but basically Germany sold them these residences years ago, allowing them to set up shop and run operations and intelligence missions out of here. As long as they keep Germany in the know, they play along that this is just some random suburbian lifestyle out here." Jay nodded while looking out the window, feeling a little creeped out by it now. So much mystery lay out there and he was just beginning to realize the magnitude of what he signed up for.

"How do you know all of this," he asked?

"I've got sources." Jay rolled his eyes, making Mouse smile.

"Where are we sleeping tonight?"

"They have these things called bedrooms. Yeah, and they're right up above us."

"Oh look at you being so smart." Jay trotted up the stairs with Mouse close behind. They both reached their assigned doors and headed in for the night. Jay held Mouse up before he slammed his door shut.

"Hey, does this mean we're working together?"

"No, we're now enemies. Sleep with one eye open." Jay groaned in frustration; this was going to be a long six months.

"Yes, and whoever else checks in before we head out which is in, like, eight hours."

"Sounds good. Look forward to it," Jay replied through a yawn, the jet lag really catching up now.

"Yes, see ya," Mouse replied before slamming the door and locking it. Jay followed suit and was soon falling asleep in a strange bed, telling himself this was probably the final night in a comfortable, secure place. The perfect thought to fall asleep to.

…

They woke up to pounding on the door sooner than any of them wanted. Jay arose to the pounding followed by the smacking of something hard against a door. Given his proximity to Mouse, he figured it was Mouse who threw something at their wake up call. Jay sat up and stared into nothing for a bit, still a little lost on where he was and the time of day. It was the sound of feet moving and the stairs creaking that made him jump back into reality. He showered in minutes and gathered his belongings before trekking down the stairs, ready to meet the rest of the crew.

He was greeted by familiar faces. Rev and New York must've come sometime during the night because they had that lack of sleep look on their faces. Sticks and Dalton were in the kitchen eating something, shouting a loud greeting with food in their mouth. Mouse rolled down the stairs moments later, massaging his temples while donning the greatest of bed heads. It was like a small family reunion and it put Jay at ease a little, knowing his little posse was sticking around for a bit.

"The band's back together," Dalton announced once they were all seated in the living room.

"They must've liked our success rate," Sticks replied.

"It was one mission," Rev commented.

"Yeah, that we passed. Which makes our success rate 100%." Mouse rolled his eyes, acting like he was too cool for their humorous banter. Jay just sat back and observed everything, trying to figure out his role in this new family dynamic. They all sat around for a few minutes talking about random things. Things that pertained to their time back home to who was single or dating. The guy that drove them all to the safe house stuck his head in the room a few minutes later, telling them the plane was ready and it was time to leave. The white Volkswagen was switched for a conversion van today and they all climbed in. Jay was the last to get in and took a final snapshot of his environment. He soaked in the silence and peacefulness of this part of the world, hoping to use it as a reminder sometime in the future. The van slowly backed out of the driveway as the sun was beginning to rise. People were busying themselves with their morning commute into the city. It's funny how similar people are. Even on different continents, people put make up on, sing in the car, and talk on the phone just like they do in the States. They didn't seem to notice the van of people staring at them oddly. It was just another day on their trip around the sun. The hectic, city driving pattern began to dwindle after a time and soon they were in a small, manufacturing town that looked to have seen better years. Things were run down and the streets were almost barren. The van turned down a road that went under a tunnel and wove around airplane hangers before arriving at a dimly lit building at the epicenter of the hangers, terminal, and runways. The driver told everyone to get out and head for the terminal to get checked in. The unit followed the instructions and were soon waiting on the runway, fully donned in their military gear and sitting on their bags, waiting for the plane to roll out.

"This is it," Mouse whispered, a smile growing on his face. Jay just nodded, not really sure how to feel in the moment.

"You ready," Mouse asked?

"Yeah, definitely."

"Well, try to hide your excitement better," Mouse jokingly replied. Jay smacked him, it was going to be fun having an older 'brother' to hang out with. There was this loud hum sounding from a hanger and few minutes later the large, creaky doors rolled open. The massive green plane slowly rolled down past the waiting group and lined up with its' assigned runway. The back door of the plane opened, giving the unit the green light to board. Mouse practically leapt from his spot and was halfway to the plane while the others stretched out and scooped up their stuff. It was like watching a little kid in a candy shop. Mouse was totally in his element. Eventually they all made it on board and were strapped into their seats. There weren't any tray tables or flight attendants, just seats and a metal floor under them. The plane rattled and roared for a few minutes before beginning its' swift climb to optimal take-off speed. Jay held his breath as he waited for the bottom of the plane to stop vibrating, indicating they were airborne. He wasn't the best flyer and was always a little uneasy during take off. But soon his uneasiness resolved as the engines and air took over. He closed his eyes as the plane made the south/south east turn. Next stop, the war zone.

…

It was hot, that's what registered first. Gone was the dreary, wet world he left. All he saw in front of him was sand and cloudless blue skies. Mouse wore his aviators as they walked off the plane, having a _Top Gun_ moment, while the rest of them squinted like dorks. The base was massive. The walls surrounding it were at least fifteen feet tall with sniper perches every few feet. HumVees were constantly coming in and out while soldiers were scattered about the campus working out or relaxing or eating. There were so many people. It felt like you planted Times Square into the middle of the dessert. Aside from Mouse, the rest of the unit stood around a little dumbfounded, a little unsure where they were supposed to go. A older man strolled over to the them, looking very authoritative and aware of what was going on.

"Welcome to Afghanistan, boys. Try to keep your head out of the sand here. Follow me." The group walked with him to a waiting Hummer and they all climbed in, their training starting to kick into gear. He showed them the barracks and command center and briefing room before pointing out the common room areas and eating places outside. He instructed them on where they could work out and when, and warned about the dangers of going too far away from the base. As grand and protected the base was, the likelihood of the enemy finding and attacking them was great. The tour ended with each of them getting room assignments and instructions to be battle ready. War didn't allow for settling in days and they needed to be ready at a moment's notice. Jay worked his way to his room and closed the door, taking everything in for a moment.

There was a twin size bed in the corner on the left side of the room, a trunk for his things at the end of it. There was a bedside table next to the bed and a normal sized window across the way. To the right was a desk with a computer on it, a Skype camera and instruction placed on the desktop. It honestly didn't feel weird being here, not a whole lot different from being dropped off at a college dorm. Jay plopped his bags at the foot of the bed before settling into the chair in front of the desk. The day before he left home, he purchased a Skype camera for his parents and set up an account for them. With his personal phone not allowed, it was the best and fastest way to keep in contact with them while he was away. He typed the necessary numbers and letters into the computer and listened to the phone ring, hesitantly waiting for the other end to pick up. He then remembered he was now nine and a half hours ahead of home and hoped he wasn't waking them up. Soon however, the other side came through.

"Jay," Kimberly practically shrieked!

"Hey, did I wake you guys up?" Pat had now squashed into the viewfinder of the camera, waving as Kimberly spoke.

"No, not at all. We were worried since we hadn't heard from you yet."

"Sorry, it took a little bit to get here but we finally made it."

"How was the flight?"

"Good, long. I slept most of the time on the Berlin flight and the one today wasn't too bad."

"So where exactly are you," Pat asked?

"Um, I'm not totally sure. Other than Afghanistan, I don't recall the name of the town we're close to, which I'm sure is for security reasons." His parents just nodded, trying to hide the fear of not knowing where he was.

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's great." Mouse knocked on the at this point and told Jay the commander wanted to brief everyone on the upcoming mission. Jay nodded without breaking his concentration on the computer screen.

"Do you need to go," his mother asked as Mouse closed the door.

"Yeah, just a meeting on what we're doing."

"Go do your thing. We love you and are proud. Be careful."

"I know, I will," Jay replied before signing off and heading out, feeling that twinge of homesickness whisper in the back of his head.

…

"Alright, listen up!" The briefing room was packed with varying battalions and divisions of the Army, resembling a school cafeteria. Units would sit with similar units while the newbies were in the middle, unsure where their unofficial spot was. Jay, Mouse, and the rest of the crew found themselves in that epicenter part of the room and felt a little out of place. So many voices talking about numerous things that it jumbled into gibberish. They'd occasionally comment on what was happening around them, but for the most part, they just listened and observed, hoping to fit in at some point. The commander of the base stormed into the room a few minutes later, his very booming voice and prominent presence made everything grew instantly silent. Those who were in the know stood and saluted the commander, Jay and his unit stood a couple of seconds later and followed suit, earning them a comedic moment.

"At ease." The chairs slid in unison as everyone returned to their relaxed state.

"First off, let's welcome the newest members of the third battalion, seventy-fifth regiment Ranger force." There was a combination of claps, cheers, and grunts as Jay and the crew waved, a little embarrassed over the attention.

"Welcome guys, we're glad you've made it and we look forward to helping you pop your mission cherry." That got a couple of smirks and laughs. The commander held up a collection of papers as a projector screen was rolled down and slides were displayed on it.

"Intel just came in on our targets and hostages. This is the latest satellite footage of the compound and according to local reports, most of the high level targets are still in and around the facility. The head guy hasn't been visually confirmed yet but it's very likely he's there." The commander clicked the remote a couple of times, proceeding to highlight out points of access, who was confirmed in the compound, and if the hostages were alive.

"As you can see, seven of the eight hostages were walked across the compound yesterday afternoon and brought into this building here. We have reason to believe the eighth hostage escaped or has been killed, we'll know more once we get in here." Everyone was quiet after that one, realizing the cruelty and severity of where they were headed. The high level target was a leader in a nearby unit of the Taliban. He'd been terrorizing small towns with little military assistance for months. Women and children would go missing in the night and men would be kidnapped and forced into this person's regiment. The hostages for this particular mission were believed to be two women and six children, ranging from four to twelve years old. A remote surveillance team back in the States witnessed the abduction a week prior and followed them to the Taliban leader's compound. From there, it was about creating a game plan and getting the right people on the ground. This high level target was known to interrogate his hostages for about a week before eliminating them, making this case odd because he'd gone over his timeline. Regardless, time was of the essence.

"We're sending into three teams. Charlie team will be responsible for creating a point of access and border security. You're our eyes and ears when we get in there. Bravo team will have defensive responsibilities while Alpha is assigned with rescuing the hostages. Targets are to be taken alive unless life preservation actions must be taken. Look over the game plan and get in sync with your team. We're rolling out in three hours. Good luck to everyone." Briefing packets were disbursed and the three teams clumped together. Jay and his unit were part assigned to the Charlie team, the seemingly easiest part of the whole thing. In the back of his mind, Jay wanted to be in that search and rescue role, but was excited to play some kind of role in this massive operation. They weren't going to be the one's breaking the door down, but they were responsible for calling in the exit strategy and they took up their roles wholeheartedly.

The room migrated from the briefing room to the tact gear room. It was awesome to witness. There was a large table in the middle of the room and cages housing their weapons along the walls. It was like watching robots. Everyone knew exactly what they needed and the exact pace necessary to load their weapons. No one spoke during this time, enjoying the snapping, clicking, and sliding of people readying themselves for battle. Jay couldn't help but be awestruck by it all, fighting the urge to geek out over how cool this all was. No longer was this an idea or far off plan, the words were finally being put into action and he couldn't wait.

A couple of hours later, the plane rolled down the tarmac and everyone crammed in. Jay found his spot near the entrance and watched as the setting sun disappeared behind the plane door. He looked to Mouse and nodded his head, mentally telling him he was ready to roll. He rested his elbow on his knee and placed his fist under his chin as the plane climbed into the sky. Next step, jumping into unknown.

…

The headsets crackled the command to jump an hour and a half later. During the flight, Jay was fighting sleep. The swaying flow of the plane's travel and the silence amongst the group was very trance-like. Jay's head would drop for a moment before he'd pick himself back up. A couple of times, Mouse or Rev would nudge him, making his face turn red as they laughed over his lack of intensity. It was odd because none of this scared him. The very real possibility of being shot or taken didn't scare him. It was all part of the job. As long as you kept alert and had a wing man, you were solid. Since they were the first step in the plan, Jay and the rest of the Charlie team jumped first. It was a group of fifteen and they all gathered at the back of the plane, waiting for the door to open. Fist bumps and head nods were exchanged as the quiet, cold air hit their faces. They got the green light and let gravity do its' thing. That odd dread crept back into Jay's mind as they fell. The sky was completely dark now and the night vision was staticky. Unlike in previous jumps, everything was live. Once his feet touched the ground, hell would break loose. The rounds weren't blank and it wasn't training officers disguised as the bad guys. This moment at whatever number of feet was the final moment of peacefulness. Jay swallowed the dread and forced himself to stare at the altitude monitor, reminding himself everything was going to be fine.

Some seconds later, he quietly made contact with the sandy earth under him and tucked his jump gear away. He secured his weapons and readied the long assault rifle, waiting for the cue to begin moving. It was cool at this position of the operation. You could look up and hear canvass fluttering in the wind, but had no clue where it was all coming from. Feet would quietly press against the ground and guns were drawn seconds later. No one spoke during this time, only using mic clicks and hand movements. The leader of Charlie team glanced down at his marked map before pointing a direction, using hand movements to tell everyone to move. Jay was situated about mid-pack as they moved. It was a fifteen minute hike but soon the compound loomed large. It was a massive walls were several feet high and at least a couple feet thick. Buildings towered above the wall and were multidimensional structures. It looked like a castle in a book, minus a moat. The crazy part was that this was in the middle of nowhere. Jay found his mind wandering to the logistics of how one builds something of this magnitude, his thoughts being interrupted by commands from the leader.

"Newbies, take your position on the southeast corner." Jay, Mouse, and the rest of them quietly and methodically worked they way to the spot, keeping guns drawn the entire time. They were about halfway down when they heard the first hints of movement. Shouts were sounding from the other side of the wall, running feet soon followed. They were made. Mouse pushed Jay a little, telling him to pick up the pace. They reached the southeast corner when the first gun shot rang out. It was booming, like a rocket launcher. They watched something careen over them and crash into the ground, exploding a few feet to their right. They felt hot sand hit their hands and faces but didn't move, keeping their guns pointed upward in anticipation of gunfire. Mouse saw the flash of a gun first and didn't hesitate, successfully hitting his target. The gun dropped out of the person's hands and hit the ground, Rev running out to acquire it. Jay was a little surprised at Mouse's easiness for killing, reminding himself it was them or him. Dalton moved a little further down the wall with Sticks in tow, each taking out snipers hovering on the top of the wall. Meanwhile, the shouting inside the walls had grown to a full on assault. The rest of the Charlie team breached the gate of the compound and had pulled back, letting the remaining teams flood in. Gunfire was constant and explosions from grenades and door breaching echoed across the dessert. People would shout commands and updates on the radio and it took everything in Jay to not head in. A couple of minutes later, the call they all wanted came across the channel.

"Hostages are acquired," a member of Alpha team calmly radioed.

"10-4," someone from Charlie replied.

"Newbies, call in the exit." Mouse reached for the briefing manual in New York's gear and quickly thumbed through the pages, muttering something about feet and coordinates.

"New York, Jay, go thirty feet that way and mark the spot. I'll call it in." The two of them broke free, each man watching an opposite direction. Gunfire was hitting around them, but they just kept running. They guesstimated the spot and threw the flares on the ground, creating a glowing red triangle for the helicopter. By now the rest of Charlie team had began their retreat to the landing zone, clearing the path for the other teams and the hostages. The helicopters blades could be heard seconds later, making the sand around the waiting soldiers blast them in the face. The hostages and Alpha team were loaded first, the rest climbed into the second helicopter. Jay remembered to breathe as the chopper ascended into the night sky. His hands were shaking from adrenaline as he returned his weapons to their holsters. There was shouting and cheering in the chopper as the crew celebrated a successful mission. The commander came across the radio to congratulate them.

"Nicely done, boys. All hostages were acquired and two targets were captured alive. See you back at the FOP." Mouse shook Jay's shoulders and shouted something in his ear. Jay doesn't recall the words spoken that evening but just remembers the jubilation of achieving a dangerous, high stakes goal. At the time, Jay didn't realize it was the first of many successful moments he and his team would achieve. For some reason, the flight back to the base was quicker than the flight out. Perhaps it was the anticipation or dread that dragged everything out. Soon though, safe ground was under their feet again. Jay and Mouse held back and watched the aftermath of everything. The hostages were smiling, crying, hugging each other as they stood in the helicopter hanger, free from the clutches of evil. Jay counted six children and only saw one adult female. He was about to ask something when the white body bag was carried out and gently placed on a gurney. Whatever mental celebration Jay was experiencing vanished. They didn't get there in time and now a family was without a parent. Jay didn't watched the two targets get escorted to a waiting plane because he was doubled over in grief. His hands were resting on his knees and his head hung low, everything shaking and his breath short. Mouse patted his back, letting Jay have the silence for a bit.

"We failed them," Jay spoke. Mouse hesitated before replying.

"At least they can have a funeral." Jay stood up and nodded his head.

"Yeah, let's go." It's odd because, in a way, he somehow forget that casualty is apart of war. He knew the risks for himself, but somehow overlooked the part where innocent lives were likely to be lost. Again, it's all part of the job, one of the many cruel aspects of war. He wished there was a way to avoid it all, but reminded himself that's why he and every other soldier was here. It was a two-prong thing: protect his country's freedom and keep other innocent people out of the hands of evil forces. He spent most of the night tossing and turning, wishing there was a way to rewind the hands of time for that grieving family.

**So the next chapter will see more of the first tour. Obviously, more happened then this one mission but I wanted to really establish the beginning of the journey. Next chapter will be a littler faster paced and will finally include some hints from the shows. I hope you guys enjoyed this one. Let me know what you think! Thanks again for reading this!**


End file.
